Contra Costa's program was recognized as ninth nationally by clinical reputation out of 490 family medicine residency programs in the U.S., according to the annual Doximity Residency Navigator survey. Doximity also ranked the Contra Costa Family Medicine Residency Program, which is affiliated with Contra Costa Regional Medical Center (CCRMC) & Health Centers, in the top 10 in 2015.

"I am so honored that we have been recognized again as one of the top residencies in the nation," said Residency Program Director Dr. Kristin Moeller.

The Doximity Residency Navigator is an interactive tool designed to help medical students research and compare residency training programs nationwide based on their unique career interests. It combines objective data with 260,000 nominations, ratings and reviews from over 52,000 U.S. board-certified physicians.

Contra Costa's popular three-year program receives 800 applications for 13 residency slots each year. As one of the largest family medicine residency programs in the country, it is helping meet the growing need for primary care physicians.

"Our residency program has trained hundreds of doctors to provide the kind of comprehensive primary care now considered a model by the Affordable Care Act," said Dr. Moeller.

The County's residency program began in the early 1950s as a general practice training program before evolving in 1975 into a family medicine residency, which includes a broader spectrum of services to prepare doctors to care for people of all ages and stages of life.

Dr. Moeller said the program is so well regarded because residents learn about a wide variety of services, from emergency medicine to intensive care to delivering babies to outpatient primary care. The residency also sponsors a global health fellowship that sends residents around the world to train doctors in other countries.

Having the opportunity to train in so many different areas is what attracted Dr. Erin Stratta to Contra Costa's residency program.

"There are so many people in medical school that want this kind of broad training — and that's why they apply here. People know this is where you go if you want a really different kind of experience," said Dr. Stratta, a graduate from Loyola University's Stritch School of Medicine in Chicago.

After she completed her residency training in 2015, Stratta chose to stay on as a full-time physician at CCRMC & Health Centers—something many residency graduates do. More than half of residents continue working at CCRMC & Health Centers after they graduate. It's estimated one-third of residency graduates from the past 40 years remain in Contra Costa County, while two-thirds currently practice in California.

"We're helping train highly competent and compassionate physicians who are committed to the community and making it healthier," said Dr. Moeller, who did her residency at CCRMC more than 15 years ago.